Obama ready for Syria strike, but seeks approval from Congress

August 31, 2013

Staff and wire reports

President Barack Obama, speaking from the Rose Garden in Washington D.C., said he believes the United States should take action in Syria.

But the president said he will first seek authorization from Congress.

"After careful deliberation, I have decided that the Unites States should take military action against regime targets.This would not be an open-ended intervention. We would not put boots on the ground. Instead our action would be designed to be limited in duration and scope," the president said.

Obama went on to say that the head of the Joint Chiefs has said the U.S. is prepared to strike at any time.

"Our capacity to execute this mission is not time sensitive," the president said. "It will be effective tomorrow, or next week or one month from now. And I'm prepared to give that order."

But Obama first wants a debate and vote from lawmakers.

Obama made the announcement in response to a deadly chemical weapons attack the U.S. says President Bashar Assad's regime carried out against Syrian civilians.